New Horizons Book 1: New Beginnings
by Puragtory
Summary: TO BE REWRITTEN... The turtles are in their early 20's and life has become rather dull for the vigilantes, until a new adventure falls into their laps - literally - in the form of another mutant turtle. But is she a friend or a foe? A new romantic partner for one of the turtles or trouble brewing?
1. Chapter 1

The fire was getting closer and war brewing, Shredder was certain of this. The troublesome quartet would no longer stand in his way. He'd finally gotten his hands upon an ultimate weapon, certain to bring his dreams to fruition. The Japanese warrior was pleased with the progress his research division was making, though he seemed rather off-put by the course they had apparently chosen to take. "So long as it bears fruit, make it so." One of the scientists was declaring impatiently as the Foot Clan leader witnessed the final stages of the project taking place. The genetic vat that dominated the center of the room was a subject of great interest, as the man glowered at the suspended from within.

Once he had the creature back under his command, his original intention was to release her upon his enemies in a blaze of glory. However, his research division had recommended a more discrete tactic and presented their master with an idea and a vial of blood. Now, seeing the end result suspended in some kind of blue-green liquid before him, Shredder found himself seething with building rage. He wanted to destroy the turtles, and now he found himself relying on another to bring the quartet to their knees. It enraged the warrior to no end, but he could clearly see the benefits of this as well. The turtles would likely be more welcoming to a fellow mutant turtle than they would some strange woman.

Turning his attention to the nearest monitor, Shredder found himself staring at what appeared to be some kind of genetic database. A terrapin and a human silhouette dominated the center of the screen and corresponding anatomical parts were flashing to some kind of rhythm, and rotating double-helix icons floated in the corners, every so often expanding. While he watched, parts of the helix icons were pulled out of the animation and were applied to the black space between the two silhouettes.

"We're currently in the process of combining three DNA strands into one perfect design." One of the scientists began to explain noticing the Shredder's fixation on the screen. Lifting a hand, he pointed placidly to the broken helix icon in the left corner of the screen. "This broken DNA strand is what we've been able to translate from the provided sample. In other words, it's kind of like our example strand. Though we are taking bits out of it to fill in the gaps, we're mostly applying a pure strand of terrapin DNA directly into the subject. Ultimately this should speed up the false mutation process, and create a more convincing appearance in one easy step. The results are easily apparent." He added, lifting his hand away from the monitor to indicate the creature suspended in the large genetic tank. "She's surprisingly responsive to the gene transplant. Where did you ever find such an adaptive creature?"

"She has always adapted to survive. It is the most favorable quality about her. Aside from her inability to defy her master." Shredder responded, as he began to circle the genetic tube. "How long until it is ready? Reconditioning is required before she is released." He added detachedly.

"Uh… Well, to be honest? It could be ready tomorrow, it could take another month. It just depends on how well her body holds up to the final physical alterations of the experiment." The scientist hesitantly explained, drawing away from his superior. It was a well-known fact that Shredder did not take news of impending periods of waiting in stride. This was an experienced warrior who had taken defeat too many times to pretend to be the patient diplomat much longer. He would not be sated forever. Sooner or later, he would expect results. Swallowing hard, the scientist quickly shoved one of his technicians away from the nearest keyboard and monitor before making deft keystrokes. In a moment a new database was displayed upon the screen. A fairly humanistic silhouette dominated the screen. "But we're not just changing her appearance." The scientist spouted quickly, "We've increased her physical strength two-fold already, and her auditory and ocular senses have been heightened as well."

"Unnecessary additions." Shredder dismissed the commentary, "Just ensure the project is completed to perfection. And return her to the cell block upon completion." He added with detachment before turning his back upon the laboratory and leaving. The image of his most skilled assassin transformed – even incompletely – into one of those dreaded turtles was burned into the warrior's psyche. Her gray-green skin, the circular plating around her shoulders, the incomplete shelling across her abdomen. It disgusted him.


	2. Chapter 2

Alarms screamed throughout the disgruntled and confused organization as members rushed from one location to the other. It had been less than a week since the Shredder's last visit to the laboratory, and now it seemed like a sick joke. The scientist who had once led the BETA project now shuffled uncomfortably outside the massive closed doors. He was not looking forward to explaining to his master that the test subject had escaped. They had underestimated her determination to be free. None of them had thought she would be capable of breaking free of the vat, let alone get out of the laboratory, and to think she'd make it through the main corridors without incident just seemed impossible. They hadn't taken enough security measures. They should have listened to the rumors of the demon assassin. Taking a shaking breath, the small man pushed the doors open.

He almost hoped to find the adjacent room empty, but he was not so lucky. Shredder was positioned at the far end of the room, his two most prized subordinates stood to either side, and his personal guard of four elite ninjas stood vigilante against the east wall. Swallowing hard, the scientist inched inside letting the heavy doors close behind him.

"Speak." Shredder commanded impatiently.

"Please forgive me, Master, but… T-the BETA Project subject… S-she's escaped." He explained nervously, dispensing with any niceties to offset his master's predictable rage. However, the man only turned his attention to the brutish mountain-of-a-man to his left who supplied a quick nod of acknowledgement for some unspoken command, and swiftly departed the chamber with the elite ninja close on his heels. Confused, and a little curious, the scientist watched the five men exit the vestibule with a bewildering stare before his attention was pulled back to the remaining two bodies in the room.

The Shredder appeared to be bored with the wailing sirens that still echoed faintly through the heavy doors, but bore no expression of malcontent towards the scientist's proclamation of failure. It sent shivers down his spine. Surely the notoriously intolerant master of ninjutsu was displeased with his incompetence. The little man was almost sure that his master hadn't heard him and he hesitantly opened his mouth to reiterate his claim when the black haired woman at his side took a menacing step forward.

"The escape was expected." She explained shortly, "The project has advanced to Stage Two."

"But- It's not ready!" The scientist exclaimed worriedly, throwing his hands out in front of his body as if expecting to be shoved forward to his knees. "There are still many more DNA strand applications and modifications to be administered, and we're still trying to figure out why the configuration won't remain stabilized! It's not ready for a field test, let alone Stage Two!"

"Are you doubting our master's decision?!" The woman hissed warningly, a hand reaching across her abdomen to grasp the hilt of a katana that hung from her waist.

"N-no, no. Not at all, I-I'm just saying the project isn't ready yet…" The man blubbered uncomfortably, his dark gaze lingering on the partially concealed ninja weapon.

"Enough!" Shredder suddenly interjected, rising from his seat with surprising swiftness, he descended the small dais and swept past his scientist as he too exited the room. "The project will proceed to Stage Two. Your services are no longer required. Be gone from my sight, Wretch." The simple dismissal bore with it a heavy warning that had the little man tensing in anticipation until the seasoned warrior had left the chamber. As the heavy door swung open, the scientist realized that some time in the last minute or two, someone had turned off the screaming alarms.

From his left, the female ninja was speaking rapidly into a radio as she followed her master from the chamber, though she paused at the door to glance back at the scientist. "BETA Project," She sneered unhappily, "It better produce results, or else it will be your head that rolls." She warned before bringing the radio back to her lips and barking orders in Japanese. As the little man quickly retreated from the chamber, the only things he understood were; "Recapture is not an option" and "shoot to immobilize".

The scientist's position did not warrant an explanation of the project's progression past Stage One, and therefore he had no idea what Stage Two entailed. All he knew was that the young Japanese woman he had slaved away to turn into a giant humanoid turtle was going to do some kind of specialized work directly under Shredder's orders. Was that tiny little woman perhaps one of the Shredder's elite warriors? It didn't seem possible, but based on the way the higher ups in the organization were treating her unpredictable release upon the world, he was beginning to think she was. He also wondered where Hun and the Elite Four had slithered off to.

A swarm of armed Foot soldiers bustled past the scientist, nearly unbalancing him in their haste, and then disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared. It was enough of a signal to instruct the little man to drop his head and hurry back to the dungeon laboratories. Apparently, he was no longer affiliated with the BETA Project, and therefore it was no longer his business to ponder the fate of his experiment.

* * *

The drone of impatient drivers and drunkards chorused from the streets below as daily life continued for the citizens of New York City. Unbeknownst to any of them, they were being closely monitored from a roof's edge by a set of cold amber eyes. "What're we doin' up here?" Raphael groaned boringly, as his guarded gaze followed the path of a woman clad in a red cocktail dress as she shimmied carelessly through the crowded street until she stopped in the middle of a gathering of other women dressed in similar dresses of varying colors, lengths, and styles. He could hear the volume their giggles from his perch, far above them as they linked arms and continued farther up the street before finally disappearing into a local night club.

From behind the man-sized turtle an equally droll voice drew his attention from the streets below. "Would you rather be cooped up inside all night? Now shut up and get away from the edge before someone sees you."

"Don't talk to me like I don't know what I'm doin'." Raphael countered, but pushed away from the edge nonetheless, trudging past the water tower ladder from which his orange clad brother dangled by the crook of his knees. A wild sneer pulling at his lips as he drew himself quickly upright, before letting his muscles fall limp again. The red masked ninja scoffed at the display while his brother repeated the exercise again and again. While, just a couple more steps ahead, his remaining two brothers huddled in the middle of the flat roof, domed heads lowered as they poured over a map. The colors of their purple and blue bandanas fading into the same indigo color of midnight in the darkening light. Other than the difference in weaponry attached to their dark shells, distinguishing the two man-sized turtles apart was near impossible in the current lighting. At least, it would be for anyone who wasn't already accustomed to their individual mannerisms. Leonardo stood rigidly straight, shoulders back, always aware of his surroundings even when he didn't appear to be. While Donatello was hunched slightly, more interested in the rectangular scrap of paper spread across the rooftop than anything else.

"It's a high stakes scavenger hunt." Donnie mumbled a second later, mulling over the map. He tapped the paper in quick succession following some kind of pattern through the maze-like marks.

"Sounds fun!" Michelangelo cheered excitedly as he kicked off the rung he hung from, flipping once through the air to land perfectly on his feet before he too joined the group. "But what are we looking for?"

"I can't figure that out." Donnie responded, balling his fingers into a fist and resting his knuckles on the edge of the paper. "This is just a map of some locations and weird riddles. It doesn't make any sense, and I swear I'm going to kill April for helping Sensei come up with this ridiculous test." He groaned, as he pulled the map apart into four quadrants and handed one to his rigid brother. "We're just going to have to go to each of these locations and follow the riddles and try to figure it out. But there are too many places to stay as a group, and there are four maps. My guess is we're each supposed to go to the marked locations on these maps – by ourselves – and try to solve the puzzles." The purple masked mutant conceded, as he handed maps to his other two brothers.

Inspecting his own map quickly, Leo leered over Raphael's shoulder to see the marked location he would be investigating. "These are some pretty heavily populated areas." He concluded, as his brown gaze turned to Michelangelo's map. "This is more than a test of wit. This is a test of stealth." He added solemnly.

"Like we haven't already mastered that aspect of our training?" Raphael hissed in response.

"Apparently Master Splinter wants to test just how well we've mastered the art of stealth," Leonardo retorted.

"That, or he thinks we've become complacent and neglectful of our teachings." Donatello supplied, as he reached over, took possession of the map Michelangelo held, and rotated the piece of paper quickly before returning it to his brother's grasping clutches.

"Why would he think that?" Mikey asked as revelation dawned upon him once he could recognize the part of the city he was to investigate.

"I don't know, Mikey, maybe because we've become complacent and neglectful of our teachings?" Donnie quipped as he glanced towards his other two brothers, waiting for one of them to reproach him. But they were both silent and a look of shame ghosted across their features, though it was gone before it could really be recognized as the hot-headed Raphael stepped forward.

"And why shouldn't we?" He demanded sharply, "With Hun locked up, the Purple Dragons have pretty much disappeared and the few that are left ain't more than child's play to deal with. And ever since we humiliated Shredder last year, we haven't seen hide or hair of the Foot Clan. The world has been safe from an apocalypse for over a year now. Why can't we relax a bit?"

"Maybe because we don't know when Shredder's going to start acting up again." Donnie pointed out, turning his dark brown eyes to his brother who was nodding his agreement.

"He's got a point, Raph." Leo agreed, "For all we know, Shredder's just biding his time to strike again. He could be hiding in that fortress of his scheming an even bigger mess for us to clean up. In all the years we've been struggling against the Foot Clan, how many times have we defeated the Shredder and he actually _stayed_ that way? It might be a good idea to get back in shape."

With a groan, Raphael shook his head, but turned his amber eyes to the map of locations he held in his hand. Finding the nearest location to their current position, the red masked mutant didn't give his brother a chance to pile on more orders. He approached the edge of the roof again and in a single bound, sailed across the short gap between roofs and disappeared into the night. Even he had to admit doing _something_ was better than what they'd been doing for the past six months, which was waiting around for something to happen. For someone to attack them or declare war upon them, anything, but their lives had become quiet since their latest conquest over Shredder and his lackeys. He'd never admit to it, but he was probably just as bored of waiting as his brothers were.

After a moment, he blocked out all others thoughts and just relished the wind in his face as he raced across the shadowed rooftops. He ran and ran until his burning lungs forced him to slow to a trot.

His quadrant of the city happened to be the furthest from where the brothers had parted ways; some of the locations were in excess of five miles from where they had started. He momentarily wondered which of his kinsman wouldn't have to travel very far to reach their first destination, but again, quelled the curiosity in deference to the chilled late autumn air against his unprotected skin.

He wasn't sure how far he'd travelled when he was suddenly jerked to a stop. Glancing quickly around, the ninja disappeared into the thick shadows cast from a nearby chimney as he listened to the approaching voices. They were as out of breath as he was, and sounded like a group of at least four people. Listening to the conversation, Raphael found himself surprised when his straining ears plucked out a handful of familiar words. "Shredder… Foot Clan… Target… Elimination…" Along with a string of commands, but only one that stood out among the others, "Shoot to maim."

Foot goons with guns, that was always a reassuring thought, Raphael seethed as his fingers inched toward the sais at his waist. He was more than ready to knock a couple Foot Clan soldiers out, and he was just preparing to make his assault when the first gunshot ricocheted through the air. Nearly jumping, Raphael's attention was drawn to the horizon as a tinny mechanized voice joined the fray of the group he had stumbled into.

"Target spotted! Target spotted!" The voice was declaring desperately, "Engage! Engage! Target is moving north, all units respond!" Fear crept through the ninja turtle's veins and a cold sweat began trickling from his domed head. He could think of three "targets" that the Foot Clan would be interested in hunting down.

Swallowing hard, a second gunshot in the night gave the ninja a new incentive. Forgetting the map, he let the piece of paper flutter carelessly to the rooftop as he rounded the chimney he hid behind. The Foot Clan ninjas were already gone, but he still had to be careful. The last thing he wanted to do was draw unwanted attention to himself.

He ran north for several minutes but soon found himself hiding more than moving. There were Foot soldiers everywhere. And every one of them was carrying some kind of military-grade sniper rifle. It seemed wrong to the mutant ninja turtle to see the guns, they weren't the usual accessory the Foot Clan chose. In fact, he couldn't even remember a time when the Foot Clan using guns before tonight. Was it a new tactic they were trying? What was the Shredder up to?

Drawing his tongue quickly over his dry, crackled lips Raphael wondered if he shouldn't risk drawing attention to himself or his brothers by using his shellcell. He was just reaching for the tiny device when another group of ninjas hurdled past him, dangerously close. Biting back a hiss, the red masked turtle pressed himself deeper into the shadows.

Another gunshot rang through the night. Again and again. A total of five shots in the night. Regardless of whatever plan the Shredder had concocted this time, Raphael was pleased to think the Foot ninjas weren't very good snipers at the very least. Five shots for three turtles, there was still a chance his brothers were safe. Turning his head a fraction, the banded turtle took notice of the roof's edge within reaching distance. He needed to get off the roof; there were too many Foot ninjas for him to keep moving safely along the rooftops. Leaning cautiously from his hiding place, the turtle was glad to see the gap between buildings was another desolate alley with more hiding places than he could hope for.

Quickly surveying his surrounding once more, Raphael leapt over the edge as soon as he was sure he wouldn't be spotted. "Rusty my shell." He mumbled as he descended silently into darkness. However, once he landed in a crouch among a pile of rubbish and trash, he didn't take into account that there would be even more black-clad ninja combing the ground too. What were they looking for?! It seemed strange that Shredder would just up and decide one day to hunt the turtles down after over a year. There had to be something he was missing.

Suddenly, with a roll of thunder far in the distance, Raphael watched as three ninjas rounded a corner and disappeared down the alley directly across the street from him. They each held their weapons high across their chests, ready to aim and fire at the slightest noise. Frankly, the turtle should have been more concerned with finding his brothers, but a long ago silenced primal desire to crack some skulls together drew the turtle stealthily from his shadowed corner. The opportunity was too perfect to pass up. Drawing his sais, he darted across the empty street as fast as his legs would carry him and followed the three ninjas.

Like a shadow, the turtle made quick work of the unsuspecting ninjas before they even had a chance to realize they'd been followed. "Real rusty." He huffed sarcastically, as he nudged one of the motionless bodies with his foot. Leo and Donnie were paranoid, he finally decided as he knelt to pick up one of the guns for inspection. Donnie would probably want to check it out. But as his fingers brushed against the cold metal he noticed something else; a trail of blood leading further into the alley.

Confused, the mutant turned his head enough to follow the thick red droplets with his assessing amber eyes. Eventually, they came to rest on a figure hidden the shadowy depths. Jerking to attention, the ninja straightened and started toward the cowering silhouette. "H-Hey," He stammered as his confused brain tried to piece the situation together. The creature was obviously too small to be one of his brothers, but based on the blood trail, the Foot Clan had to have been trailing it. Was this their intended target?

The shadows moved slightly, and Raphael realized the creature was debating whether or not his was a friend or another enemy. Taking notice of the hesitance and the sais still clenched in his fists, he quickly replaced the ninja weapons to their holsters before holding his empty palms out in front of him, slowly easing further into the darkness. "It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt ya." He pleaded, maneuvering quickly past the fallen Foot ninjas. The alley went a little deeper still, but he also knew it ended in a dead end. The only way out of the alley was the way he'd come in. He took a couple more cautious steps forward, enough for him to make out a clear silhouette and his breath caught in his throat. He was almost certain his heart skipped a beat. He couldn't believe his eyes as the creature attempted to stand. But her legs wouldn't support her weight and she collapsed back to the puddle of blood she was kneeling in. Only then did Raphael notice the thick rivulet of red fluid coursing from her shoulder and a smaller stream spilling across her leg. She'd been shot. She'd been shot at least once. He couldn't tell if the wound on her leg was as bad as her shoulder.

"Hasha…" A feathery voice suddenly whispered before the female mutant turtle started to topple over. Raphael didn't think. He simply sprinted the short distance to the woman, pulling her into his embrace before she hit the ground. She was barely awake, her eye lids heavy as she brought a shaking, bloody hand to his chest. "Hasha…" She whispered again before her hand fell limp, leaving a bloody hand print on Raphael's plastron just above his heart.


	3. Chapter 3

The crackle of a radio drew the mutant turtle back to the situation at hand, as he pulled his yellow eyes away from the defenseless woman cradled in his lap. Sweeping his gaze toward the mouth of the alley, he quickly identified the crackling radio not far from the nearest Foot Clan ninja. It wouldn't be long before more of them showed up. If they didn't follow the blood trail, then they would come looking for their missing comrades. It wasn't safe to stay here.

His feet slipped on the blood soaked ground, but he forced his legs under him regardless of the discomfort. Shifting his weight and the weight of his cargo, he rose swiftly and sprinted for the alley entrance; ignoring the unconscious ninjas, forgetting the fallen firearms. The only thing he could think about was getting someplace safe, and preferably underground. It was the safest place he could think of, and the closest. He might have chanced trying to regroup at the Jones' residence if it wasn't on the opposite side of town with a battalion of Foot Ninjas between them. His only true option left was to get her back to the lair as soon as possible.

Blood was still flowing profusely from her wounds and it made him scowl in distaste. He started to shift her weight again, enough to reach for his cellular device, intent on trying to contact his brother and find out what his best course of action would be in stopping or slowing the bleeding. But before he could make more than a whisper of movement, the skitter of approaching ninjas drove him into a panicked state. They were too exposed. They'd be found instantly. Opting to take a chance, he sprang from the alley, darting down the darkened street. He'd barely ducked behind a dumpster when the soft _plod_ of ninjas descending from higher positions sounded outside the alley. "…Too close…" He whispered under his breath, as his yellow gaze shifted from his surroundings back to the woman in his arms. This was not going to be as simple as finding the nearest manhole and disappearing. He was going to have to locate the nearest maintenance tunnel. A feat in itself, he realized.

It seemed luck was not on his side tonight, as more ninjas appeared at the other end of the street. Biting back another hiss, he pressed himself deeper into the shadows, willing himself not to be seen. He was sure it was a fool's hope when a voice suddenly cut through the eerie stillness, sharp as a blade.

"Divisions 2, 13, 15, and 18 have been immobilized." It was a woman's voice,. "The target is still roaming. So find her!" She continued haughtily. Raphael scowled at the familiar voice, but he found himself dumbstruck when the ninjas vanished as suddenly as they'd appeared. He'd been certain they'd been found, and yet… The ninjas hadn't even bothered to search the alley? Confusion twisted his features, but he still removed to move. It was too easy. A loud breath was suddenly loosed, followed suddenly by the words he'd dreaded.

"I know you are hiding there." The woman's voice was cold, devoid of emotion, familiar. Raphael didn't realize he was grinding his teeth until he set the woman carefully from his arms. He needed her safe and out of the way. Once he was sure she wouldn't be easily seen, he drew his weapons and readied himself for a fight. But once more, he found himself dumbstruck by what awaited him. Karai was clearly standing in the middle of the street in front of him, but she had discarded her weapons, and even her radio sat untouched several feet away. It was enough to catch him off guard, as his red-wrapped sais sagged in his hands. He wasn't dumb enough to let the fall completely.

"They are gone." Karai confirmed, lifting her hands to expose her open palms. Surrendering? That'd be a first. Like all the other Foot ninjas; Karai had a tendency to blindly follow her master's orders. With this thought, his fingers tightened around his weapons and his muscles tensed again.

"Please, do not make a scene. They will return." She warned suddenly, poised to take a step closer. "We must leave before they become suspicious." At the words, he found it increasingly difficult to believe Karai was trying to help him in anyway. She had to be planning something, but right now, she also had the advantage. Biting back his own suspicions, he stooped down in order to draw the new mutant into his embrace again. When he arose, Karai had skillfully closed the distance between them and was peering cautiously over her shoulder. When her indigo gaze turned back toward Raphael, she gave a silent nod and indication for him to follow her lead. A flash of agony danced through her midnight eyes so fast, the ninja turtle wasn't even sure he saw as her gaze swept over the unconscious mutant. And not for the first time that night; Raphael wondered just how the mutant had become involved with the Foot Clan and Shredder's lackeys.

Slowly and silently, Karai led the wary ninja from his alcove, occasionally shoving him down a dark alley, but more often into a conveniently placed pile of rubbish without warning. The first few times it happened, the enraged ninja had to bite back his barking disapproval and accusations that Karai had done it for no other purpose than because she was capable of doing so. However, even he had to recognize that she only ever did it right before a cluster of Foot ninjas would appear before their second-in-command. It was either a well-practiced ruse, or Karai – despite his beliefs – was actually trying to help him smuggle the mutant to safety. It didn't seem possible, but the building evidence was beginning to become hard to ignore as Shredder's adopted daughter helped him stagger out of the particularly massive heap of rubble and discarded junk she'd shoved him into mere minutes before.

"Quickly." She instructed fiercely without explanation. Raphael was really getting sick of hearing that word as he once more bit down the urge to tell her he'd move a lot faster if she would quit tripping him and throwing into the nearest garbage pile. And he was beginning to worry about his charge. Being constantly thrown into the midst of a refuse pile was sure not keeping her still-bleeding wounds clean of infection. Helping his brother sterilize them would not be an enjoyable task later.

After another few minutes in which the ninja spent watching the kunoichi's every muscle twitch for signs that she was going to relocate him into yet another junk pile; she instead drew to a sudden stop. It took Raphael only a moment to realize the Foot Clan ninja had escorted him directly to his desired destination. He gaped at her for a moment, but she merely turned to him, that same flicker of agony and shame dancing through her dark gaze. "I cannot assist you past this point." She whispered, "I am afraid this was all the help I am able to provide." She added, seemingly as an afterthought, before turning away and disappearing into the night.

Still quite mystified by the female ninja's actions, Raphael chose not to question her motive as he too turned away. He quickly scanned the area for signs of an ambush, and when he was satisfied that there were none; sprinted for the maintenance tunnel.

He disappeared into the depths of the subterranean sewer system almost instantly. While a shadow watched from the darkness of a nearby building. "Well done. The Master will be quite pleased." A distinctly male voice crooned with a sinister chuckle as Karai approached.

"The plan was infallible." She concurred, striding past the figure, who merely chuckled again.

* * *

Unaware of the exchange, Raphael navigated the familiar twists and turns that ultimately returned him to his subterranean abode. As he slipped expertly past the finely crafted security precautions his brother had placed for their protection, he easily located the hidden entrance and announced his return with a shrill beckoning. "Get your shells out here!"

After a few breathless moments with no response, Raphael wondered if his brothers had even returned yet, or even why their sensei made no appearance, when suddenly the lair erupted into chaos and he was swallowed up by his family's concern and demands for explanation.


	4. Chapter 4

After several unbearable minutes of being pressed by his kin for some kind of explanation, Raphael was beginning to wonder if he was going to have to tell his family about the unconscious mutant in his arms. But then, just as he was getting ready to tell them all to shut up, his younger brother suddenly stepped back and pointed a finger at his brother's torso. Effectively, he redirected the attention of the collective with three simple words; "What is _that_?"

Donatello was the second to respond, as his attention jerked first toward the bloody handprint smeared across Raphael's plastron, and then to the woman cradled in his arms. He nearly jumped out of his shell in surprise and started to take a step back, but then hurdled himself forward and nearly tore the woman from his brother's embrace. As soon as the woman was taken away, the remainder of their family quickly surrounded Donatello.

"She's a mutant." Leonardo conceded, turning his chocolate gaze questionably toward his brother who only returned his comment with a derivative expression.

"To be honest, I really thought _that_ would be the last thing you noticed." Raphael countered, gesturing vaguely toward the woman's upper torso. Confused, the mutants turned and followed the indication. Chaos quickly ensued as the engineer nearly dropped the unconscious woman when he finally saw the blood still flowing from her shoulder.

"What the shell happened?" Leonardo demanded, turning fully to his brother with wide eyes. Meanwhile, Donatello turned away and sprinted into the interior of the chamber, closely followed by Master Splinter. Though Donnie stopped in the living room, the aging rat continued through the lair and disappeared into his own chambers. In the time that the engineer carefully set the woman across the couch cushions and Splinter reappeared with an armful of bandages and other assorted medical ointments, a frantic voice coursed through the air in the confusing jumble of words and statements as Michelangelo dialed the one person he knew could help them.

Raphael watched the situation for half a second before responding to his older brother. "I guess the Foot got tired of hunting _us_." As soon as the flagrant words left his lips, he could see the building exasperation in his brother's disapproving gaze and subtly braced himself for the coming lecture. However, he wasn't prepared when their sensei was the one who scowled his disapproval.

"Raphael," The rodent snapped shortly as he passed his load to Donatello who had already started cleaning the woman's shoulder wound with a rag and bowl of steaming water. At the sight, Raphael couldn't ignore the split second curiosity of where it had come from before his attention was returned to his sensei. With a scowl, he turned toward his mentor with a shrug. "I don't know what happened. She was already shot when I found her. Maybe they mistook her for one us. Foot ain't exactly intelligent, ya'know." He responded haughtily. At that moment, Michelangelo reappeared in the corridor as he closed his shellcell with a relieved sigh. "Brennen's on his way." He announced, "ETA about thirty minutes."

At the words, Raphael loosed a breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he thought about the outspoken physician they'd had the good fortune of befriending almost two years ago. It was now a waiting game until he arrived and could tend to the wounds Donnie was ill-equipped to handle on his own. Instead, he rubbed a hand across his forehead in exhaustion, his amber eyes briefly eying his older brother before falling back on the unconscious mutant in the adjoining room. He had thirty minutes to quell the confusion swirling around him, confusion he wasn't even sure he was immune from. However, he knew one thing. It would be foolish to mention Karai's involvement around Leonardo. As much as he claimed he didn't, Raphael knew there was still a part of his brother that wanted to believe Karai wasn't just another mindless follower of the Shredder's. She had helped him to safety, that much was true, but he still wasn't entirely convinced it wasn't all just a ruse. The ease of their escape had simply been too easy. With a sigh, Raphael strode into the living room, beckoning for his brother to follow.

While the four mutants settled into the room, Donatello continued his work, only half listening to the conversation during the process. Occasionally, he hissed under his breath in disgust. And while he continued cleaning the shoulder wound, Raphael began his story from the first gunshot they had heard echo through the night. It was the gunshot that had effectively ended their little scavenger hunt. Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo had quickly regrouped, but when Raphael hadn't returned they'd all begun thinking the unthinkable. In response, Leo had sent the younger brothers back home in case Raphael had gone there, while he searched the surface. But even Leo had given up the search when he'd encountered the legions of Foot Clan ninjas combing the streets. He'd barely managed to escape himself and had a couple cuts and scrapes to prove it, though clearly nothing as dire as the woman before him. His gaze briefly lifted from the couch as he peered over the back cushions to a table across the corridor and the lone firearm that waited there for his inspection. He'd only just begun taking it apart when Raphael had shown up. Now it sat neglected waiting for his return. When Leonardo had brought it in with him, Donnie was convinced it was just a basic M24 sniper weapon but as he got a closer inspection of it, he'd realized it was anything but.

Behind him Raphael's story continued as he spoke about shadowing the troupe of ninjas that ultimately led him to the injured mutant in front of the engineer. Blinking quickly, Donatello returned to his work, Brennen would arrive soon and his work would be a lot easier and faster if he didn't have to worry about having to clean the injuries first.

The work and chatter continued longer than Donatello expected, and made him rather nervous about the severity of the sustained injury when a rather obnoxious voice suddenly rang through the entranceway. "Somebody call a doctor?"

Brennen's voice was unmistakable as the thirty-year-old physician rounded the corner toting a small black pouch that seemed seriously outdated for the time period. Donatello bit back a scoff, as he lifted a bloody hand to beckon the physician into the living quarters. "Here." He called as his brothers leapt to their feet, urging the man further inside.

"Hey! Woah! Okay! What's going on?" The doctor responded as Leo, Raph, and Mikey shoved him around the couch, though the words fell dead in his mouth as he spotted the woman. He dropped his bag where he stood and shoved Donatello out of his way. The engineer expected nothing less as he righted himself and collected the medical bag their companion had brought. The cocky individual who had walked through the door was suddenly gone, replaced by a confident and serious doctor as he muttered medical terminology under his breath. He inspected the wounds, letting out a hiss through his teeth as he carefully rolled the woman, to see what Donatello assumed was the exit wound in her shoulder. But even his breath caught his throat as he saw the damage. The bullet had not entered through front, as he had suspected, but clearly from the back. Her shell was shattered directly above the wound, fragments were embedded her flesh, and spider web cracks surrounded the area of her broken carapace.

"We have to clean this, now." Brennan growled, beckoning for Donatello's brother to step forward. It wasn't clear which one the physician wanted, and frankly, Donnie assumed he didn't care either. Raphael and Michelangelo swiftly stepped forward, though Mikey looked pale as his blue eyes lingered on the bloody shell.

"Help me flip her," Brennan instructed, pushing his arm across her chest, supporting her weight, "carefully." He added sternly as Raphael and Michelangelo grabbed the woman and helped roll her onto her belly. Mikey suddenly let go unexpectedly as the full extent of damage came into his view. He made a retching noise and suddenly disappeared. Brennan hissed in disapproval as the woman's weight shifted, but Leo easily slipped into his brother's place, careful not to look at the blood. Together, the three males laid her across the couch cushions with as much ease as they could manage.

Once she was situated, Brennan stepped back, eying the mutants around him. "This is what's going to happen." He began, "First, Donnie and I are going to wash our hands, and we will be the only ones touching her from this point on." He instructed with a stern glare, "Judging by how much blood is smeared across his plastron and arms, I'd say it's a fair guess that Raphael knows more about what happened than the rest of you. Therefore, he will tell me what happened. I don't want Mikey coming back in here until we're done. I don't need him contaminating my work area with his vomit. Therefore, one of you needs to keep him occupied." Brennan continued, waving a finger between Leo and Master Splinter. The rodent mutant nodded easily, before turning away.

"Okay, so Leo, you've got a special job." Brennan said as the ninjutsu master left the room, probably in what ever direction his son had run off in. "I need you right at my side; I tell you I need something, I need it. Immediately, okay? Not three minutes later, not two minutes later, not thirty seconds later; immediately. I need to close this wound as soon as possible. Raphael, start talking." He demanded, as Leonardo slipped around the couch while the physician and Donatello maneuvered swiftly to the kitchen. The sound of running water filled the space as Raphael launched into his story again.


	5. Chapter 5

Brennan slumped against the outside wall of the garage, cigarette in hand as he puffed out a breath of nicotine smoke. He'd just spent the last couple hours crouched over the turtle's couch, picking shell fragments out of a stranger's shoulder. After coming to the conclusion that there was no bullet lodged in her wound, he'd managed to stitch the skin back together. In the process, he'd decided that the graze to her thigh didn't need to be stitched and bandaged everything. He'd warned the terrapin brothers that there was nothing he could do about the damage to her shell.

He knew from research that turtle shells were amazing at repairing themselves, but based on her anatomy, he wasn't sure hers would. Her mutation was different from the brothers. He wasn't entirely sure her terrapin appearance was genuine.

Lifting his cigarette to his lips again he took another breath. Lowering the nicotine stick, he chuckled lightly. "I think I respond to more 911 emergencies with you guys, then at my own clinic." He teased.

"We appreciate you coming though." A disembodied voice responded through the boarded window to his left.

"Yeah, well I really didn't do a whole lot. Donnie probably could have taken care of it himself. Now if the bullet had still been in her shoulder, that'd be a different story. But all I did was stitch her back up. The wound looked worse than it really was. Lot of blood loss, but nothing majorly serious. She's gonna be insanely dehydrated when she wakes up though."

"Donnie and Leo are already working on that." The voice responded again, it sounded as exhausted as he felt. "Any idea how long she'll be out?"

"Honestly? She could wake up in the next ten minutes, or she could be out for another three days. It's hard to say. Especially since we don't know anything about her. But you want my recommendation? Learn as much as you can." Brennan sighed, "Hate to break it to you, but strangers like you guys don't just suddenly appear for no reason. My bet is something is going on, and knowing you guys, it probably ain't good." He drew another puff from his cigarette.

"You sound like Master Splinter." The voice snorted half-heartedly.

"All I'm saying is that you should be careful."

"It's not like we're going to spill all of our secrets to her the moment she wakes up, Brennan." The voice snapped through the boards, "We're not that stupid, ya'know."

Brennan huffed at the response, dropped his cigarette and snuffed it out with his foot. "Call me when she wakes up." He resigned, before shouldering his bag and kicking away from the wall.

* * *

Raphael watched as Brennan's shadow disappeared around the corne. He ought to head back down, but he really didn't feel like dealing the situation. Master Splinter had Mikey running drills in the dojo, and Leo and Donnie were preoccupied with tending to the new mutant. He hadn't lied when he told Brennan his brothers were working on the problem of her dehydration. Donnie had the brilliant idea to squeeze water into her mouth using a wet rag or sponge and Leo was helping him. Which meant Raphael would be expected to participate in drills with his younger brother, and he really didn't feel like doing that. Pushing his hand beneath his mask, he rubbed at his eyes. Tonight was supposed to be droll and boring, and he wasn't entirely sure he was excited about this new development. Brennan had been right; strangers like this didn't just appear out of nowhere.

Tapping his forehead to the wooden beam a couple times, he finally decided to straighten and maneuvered across the floor back to the elevator. There was nothing else he or anyone else could do tonight.

The ride down was quick and as he reentered the chamber it was almost as if nothing had happened. The sounds of grunts and clashing metal suggested Leo had taken his leave of Donatello and returned to the dojo, and even Donatello was no longer hovering over the injured mutant. Raphael blinked a few times as his gaze flashed to the empty couch. "Where-?" He started as he spotted his purple masked brother carrying a vial about the size of his finger filled with a thick red fluid.

"Leo and I moved her to my room." Donnie interrupted him with a shrug. "It was the closest room and I highly doubt I'm sleeping tonight." He added, holding up the vial. He started to turn away, towards his lab, but paused and turned his head back with a sneer. "Are you ever going to take a bath?" He asked with a jeer, and Raphael realized he was still covered in the woman's blood. Suddenly disgusted, his face contorted and he followed his brother's lead, except he moved in the opposite direction; towards the bathroom.

* * *

The following couple of days passed in a blur, someone was posted outside Donnie's room at all times, and none of the turtles felt the desire to leave the lair for the first time in their lives. It seemed they were all waiting. Though they were all fascinated by the woman for varying reasons, it seemed no one was as eager to meet the woman as Michelangelo. He prattled constantly about how awesome it was going to be having a girl in the house. He seemed convinced that she would become romantically involved with him as soon as she woke up.

At first, his brothers thought it was kind of cute and teased Mikey about it, but as the hours progressed, it became more and more annoying. And it was becoming increasingly obvious that the orange masked ninja had actually convinced himself that the woman would become his romantic partner. As usual, it irked no one as much as it annoyed Raphael. Leonardo had managed to pacify his brother by telling him that it was just a delusional dream that would be shattered as soon as the woman woke up and rejected their younger sibling. However, even he wasn't sure that would be enough to deter Michelangelo's advances.

He was droning on in Leo's ear at the moment, and it was beginning to wear on his near infinite patience as well. It took all of his willpower to refrain from reacting as he sat outside the closed door to Donnie's room. It was near impossible to keep Mikey away, and so their constant vigil had become more of sentry position to keep the orange masked ninja from doing anything stupid.

Even Donnie had become more of an annoyance than anything. It seemed he only came by his room to draw another sample of the woman's blood for analysis. Leo had tried explaining that his continued drawing was not aiding their efforts to keep her hydrated or recovering, but his words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Raphael came by occasionally, either to relieve Leo or see if she had woken up. But, other than when he was struggling not to explode on Michelangelo, he was uncharacteristically passive. It bothered Leonardo.

"Would you shut up already?" Raphael snapped as he approached his brothers, he didn't stop to greet them, simply pushed the door open and disappeared inside. With a sigh, Leonardo lifted himself to his feet and followed his brother. Mikey tried to weasel his way in, but Leo held out a hand to stop him. "You stay out here." He instructed, pulling the door shut behind him.

Inside, Raphael had slumped into the chair beside the unconscious woman, he'd pulled a bowl of water to his lap and was gently dabbing the woman's lips with the wet rag, wiping it across her face occasionally. "Think she'll ever wake up?" He mumbled.

"Eventually." Leonardo responded. "What're you waiting for?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know. Mikey's waiting for her to reject him, even if he doesn't realize it. Donnie's waiting to perform who knows what kind of tests. What're you waiting for?"

"Answers." Raphael responded simply.

The two brothers stayed there in silence for a few minutes longer until Raphael dropped the rag back in the bowl and set it on the nightstand before rising to his feet. Leonardo stepped aside as Raphael left the room. He glanced briefly between the woman and the portal in which his brother had departed, but decided nothing would come of trying to pry information out of his kinsman.

His gaze turned back to the woman and his eyes narrowed. No one had mentioned it, but he couldn't bring himself to believe none of his kinsmen had seen it. He'd seen it the other day, when Brennan was assisting them. He'd seen it when he'd facilitated his brother in flipping the woman onto her stomach. There was no way his brothers would have missed it. Raphael had been standing right next to him, and Donnie had stayed with Brennan for the two hours it had taken him to clean and bandage her wounds. Leonardo couldn't believe his brothers would be so unobservant of it. The Foot Clan symbol that was blazed on the top lip of her shell, just behind her neck, like a brand. Maybe that's what Raphael had meant when he'd said he was waiting for answers.

Pushing his tongue into his cheek, he decided he was oversimplifying the situation. She wasn't capable of explaining the position she was in yet. And it wasn't like this would be the first time they'd seen the Foot Clan perform experiments on unwilling victims. He couldn't jump to any conclusions without proper information, and he couldn't get any information until she woke up. He groaned as his head gave a throb and finally decided he needed sleep.

* * *

Leo woke with a start, for a moment he couldn't figure out what had woke him up. Until it came again. A crash, a cry, a clamor, a commotion. He was out of his room before he could distinguish between the noises. Katana at the ready, he ran for the source. It seemed to be emanating from Donnie's room and as he approached he finally recognized some of the sounds. Voices, several voices. Raph, Donnie, Master Splinter, even Mikey, and another voice, one he didn't recognize. A feminine voice, screaming in a foreign language.

"Hey!" Raphael's voice sounded in a cry of outrage as an object came flying through the doorway. It was a book; a large, thick book. Leo dodged the object and stepped into the chaos. It took a moment to properly digest what he was seeing. Michelangelo was backed into one corner, held there by Donatello who was yelling at him. Raphael was planted in the middle of the room, his hands held out in front of him. He looked different without his signature red mask. Apparently he had been startled awake as well. So who had been standing vigil outside?

After a moment, Leo also noticed their sensei. He was crouched across the room, speaking quickly in another language, the same language the woman was shouting in.

She was huddled in another corner, the bed sheets still tangled around her legs, and she was brandishing a sharp object in her hand. A piece of glass, he realized. It was cutting into her hand as blood dripped from around the object. Her blue eyes were wide. Scared.

It only took Leonardo a moment to realize she was speaking Japanese, but even after that realization, he still couldn't understand what she was yelling about. The only two words he could understand were "hiru" and "obake". He fought a smile as his gaze flicked to the opposite corner where Mikey and Donnie were still locked together. "Hiru" which was Japanese for "leech" and "obake" which was Japanese for "hob goblin". The nicknames fit perfectly, at least for a first impression. _They brought it on themselves._ He silently chuckled, as he stepped farther into the room. That's when he noticed the glass shards, and a small puddle of blood on the floor.

His brother's amber eyes flicked to him, but he barely acknowledged Leonardo's presence as another book flew through the air and collided with his forehead. Raphael let out a grunt as his head jerked back and the encyclopedia hit the floor. Leonardo slipped further into the room, carefully maneuvering through the wreckage. Perhaps it hadn't been all that wise to put her in Donnie's room where there were trinkets, odds and ends, and books everywhere. The woman had an unlimited supply of projectiles. And by the looks of the room, it appeared she'd been at it for a while. She cursed in her native tongue again, and drew back her arm to throw a snow globe, or at least prepare to use it as a club of some sort. Briefly, Leo wondered why Donnie even had a snow globe in his room, but realized it was unimportant.

"Knock it off!" Raphael roared, taking a menacing step forward. The movement was his mistake. Leonardo barely managed to duck as the snow globe sailed through the air, but surprisingly didn't collide with his brother's body. Instead the projectile flew past him and shattered on the ground behind him, sending a spray of glass slivers and water cascading through the air.

"Shut up, Raph." Leo warned suddenly, throwing a hand out toward his brother. "She's scared out of her mind and your yelling is not helping matters, so shut up and let her calm down." Across the room, he could recognize the syllables as their sensei said something similar to the woman in Japanese. He was easing a hand toward her, toward the hand that still clutched the glass shard. He was muttering a simple phrase repetitively until his fingers wrapped around her wrist and he pulled the glass from her hand.

Her muscles bunched, but to Leonardo's surprise, she wasn't watching their sensei as he uncurled her fingers to examine the injury. Instead, her blue eyes were locked on Raphael. Her lips slowly parted and a look of recognition filled her expression.

"H-Hasha…?" The word came out small, breathless, barely a whisper. Leonardo barely heard it and his gaze turned to his brother in curiosity.

A derivative snort sounded from the back corner as Mikey and Donnie apparently overcame the argument they'd been having. "Did she just call you "Hasha"?" Mikey asked.

"Better than "Obake"." Donnie jeered, earning a contorted look of disgust from his younger brother. The tension was suddenly gone from the room. At least until the woman threw aside Master Splinter's hand, shoved herself forward, tripping on the sheets tangled around her legs and ankles, and threw herself against Raphael. "Hasha!" She cried, fingers grasping at his arms and shoulders before rotating around him and pressing against his shell.

"Woah! Hey, what?" Raphael tensed, clearly as confused by the sudden outburst as his surrounding kinsman.

"Got something you wanna tell us, Raphie?" Mikey piped up again, aggravation coating his expression as the woman used their brother as a shield.

"I have no idea what's going on!" Raphael countered, as he tried to peer over his shoulder at the cowering woman. "H-H-Hey."

"Apparently she's chosen her champion." Leonardo struggled not to laugh at the bewilderment and awkwardness of his usually confident and boastful brother. As his gaze flicked toward the rest of his family, he realized Donnie was also having difficulty containing his laughter. But Master Splinter was staring at the duo with suspicious, narrowed eyes. It was then that Leonardo realized the woman had her back to the rodent, giving him a clear view of the symbol on her shell. But the rodent didn't say anything, just moved from the corner toward his son. He spoke the simple phrase again, as he reached for her hand, but she only recoiled from him. It was a small inconsistency, but it still made Leonardo wonder what changed. A moment ago, she didn't seem to have a problem with their sensei touching her, now even he couldn't get close to her. She recoiled from all of them. All of them except Raph.

"Raph." He interjected, "someone needs to check her hand."

"Yeah, so? What do you want me to do?"

"You're the only one she'll let near her., so unless you convince her to let someone else look at it, you're up." He pointed out; as he lowered his katanas upon realizing he still held them out in front of him. "C'mon guys, let's get out of here. Let her relax a little. We don't all need to be in here, crowding her out." He added, pivoting around, firmly ushering his younger brothers out with him with a hand on their shells. Master Splinter seemed to agree with the arrangement, as he too started out of the room, leaving Raphael with the stranger.


	6. Chapter 6

After that initial meeting, she refused to lower the sheet she wrapped around herself, even in Raphael's presence, expressing a sense of modesty, humility, and decency. As soon as Leonardo had recognized the woman's discomfort at having no clothing, he'd taken it upon himself to gather just a few of their sensei's old haoris and passed to his brother for the woman. She had immediately donned one, though her shell and the length prevented her from allowing it to hang by her shoulders. She let it fall down her arms before closing it across her chest and biceps and tying it with some ribbon Donnie had scrounged up. The cloth still ended at her thighs and looked as indecent as any woman wearing nothing but a man's oversized shirt, but it seemed to satisfy her desire for coverage.

The following days continued to blur together as the brothers attempted to adapt to life with not only a sixth mutant and fifth turtle, but also the second woman to ever reside in their household for more than a of couple hours. It took two full days before the woman would see anyone but Raphael without cowering to a back corner of Donnie's room with some kind of blunt object. And even when she did allow any of the other mutants into the room, she still required Raphael's presence and no one was allowed near her except the red-masked hot-head. After another day or two, she finally started to venture beyond Donatello's room.

As the days passed, Leonardo marveled at the patience his usually impulsive and brash brother displayed, as the woman whose name they continually failed to glean, clung to him. Not that he particularly blamed his brother, either. It had to be a strange sensation to have a female of their own species press herself against him. Was it awkward? Was it pleasant? His brother surely had to be growing familiar with it after nearly a week passed since her arrival.

Today was no different than any of the previous days, as Raphael emerged from Donatello's room, straight-backed and fierce as ever. It had become a routine, Leo realized. As soon as they awoke, Raphael went to Donnie's room – the engineer having taken up residence on the couch – and would emerge a few minutes later with their newest companion pressed flat to his shell. Meanwhile, breakfast duty continued to rotate between rest of the mutants. Today was Leo and Mikey's turn, and while his younger brother grumbled his annoyance at having been awoken so early and poked at the eggs he was cooking, Leo set the table. Laying tableware in their proper places and filling glasses with milk, tea, orange juice, or coffee depending on each of his family's personal preference. He left only one glass empty as his gaze shifted to watch his brother's entrance.

In the week since her arrival, Leo had yet to see the woman actually join them for a meal. It was nearly the only time she left Raphael's side. While he and his brothers feasted, she took the plate shoved into her hands, and disappeared for a few short minutes before reappearing; plate missing. They always found it later; washed, dried, and put away but it raised a warning sign in Leonardo. When he made an inquiry to their sensei about it, Master Splinter had only told him that it was perfectly common for a woman to shy away from eating in public. Especially in front of five strange males. Leo accepted the explanation but still made a note to ask April about it when she and Casey returned from visiting April's out-of-state sister.

Raphael flopped down at the table in his usual place, soon followed by a yawning, stretching Donnie as he rubbed an eye with one hand and drew his coffee-filled mug to his lips with the other. Leo watched the woman sidle away from Donnie and tentatively drew the plate laid out next to Raphael from the table. She pressed the empty platter across her barely clothed chest as Master Splinter joined his sons at the table and Mikey approached from the stove with a serving bowl full of golden eggs.

As Mikey and Leo took up their places at the table and Donnie reached over, dunking his spoon into the bowl of eggs, the woman started to step away, but everything stopped when Raphael reached out and grabbed her wrist. His amber eyes locked on her periwinkle depths. "Stay." He commanded gently, "Stay and join us."

Everyone's attention fell to the woman, and the hand clasped around her wrist, holding their breath, waiting to see what would happen. She looked as frightened as ever as she beheld the attention now upon her, mimicking a doe in headlights quite well. Master Splinter was the first to break the silence, as he cleared his throat and resumed spreading a slice of butter across his bread. Donnie quickly looked away as well, heaving a spoonful of eggs from the dish and flopping it onto his own plate before plucking a couple strips of bacon from another plate. Leo followed the act, trying to pretend like he wasn't as curious as his siblings to see what would happen next.

Michelangelo was the only one who apparently didn't understand the cue, as he sprang from his seat, latched onto the back of the chair positioned between his seat and Raphael's, and pulled it out. "Yeah, Crystal, join us!" He squealed.

"_Crystal_?" Donnie asked skeptically, eying his brother. Leo and Splinter both dropped their heads as the diversion clearly failed to avert attention, and Raphael's hand fell away, leaving the woman to make her own decision.

"Yeah. I mean, she won't tell us her name. Why can't we give her one?"

" 'we', what 'we'? You just threw that name out without consulting any of us, which means _you_ decided to appoint a name. And that's even the point. You can't just pick a name for someone. She's got her own name. And until she says otherwise, we should respect her privacy and let her tell us when _she_ wants." Donnie growled, bracing his hands on either side of his breakfast filled plate and leaning in toward his overeager brother.

"Would you both shut up?" Leo griped to his own empty plate, though he snapped to attention at a scrapping sound and the soft clatter of ceramic meeting hard wood. The woman perched on the edge of her chair, drawing it closer to Raphael, as she chewed on her lower lips. "Y-Yoko…" She whispered, drawing everyone's attention back to her as her muscles tensed, as if struggling not to bolt. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard, before she said with only a shred more confidence, "My name. It's Yoko. Yoko Hamashira."

Her muscles tensed again as Mikey leaned on the table, as if trying to look into her face. "You don't look like a 'Yoko'." He quipped, yelping when Leo unexpectedly latched onto the knot in his mask and yanked him back into his own seat. Without so much as a word, the blue-masked leader lifted a spoon from his suddenly filled plate and started eating as though nothing had happened. Fighting the grin that spread across Donnie and Raphael's lips, fighting the satisfaction that filled the sensei on his left, struggling with the many questions that filled his head. He'd had his suspicions that she could speak English, she'd responded to it well enough, but to hear the words flow from her lips with barely an accent…

Breakfast passed in silence after that, each brother receiving a swift kick to the shins whenever they opened their mouth for anything other than to continue eating. It was awkward, but at the same time, quite pleasant. In their young lives, the brothers had endured few meals that didn't include rakish behavior or screaming at one another. Leo tried to fight the little smile that pulled at his lips as Mikey grunted from yet another kick. He imagined his brother would have a very sore leg after this meal.

Eventually, they each finished their meal and slowly drifted away from the table, until only Leo remained, leaving him to clear away the dishes and stack them next to the sink to be washed. As he approached the sink with the last of the dishes, he found her standing there, weight shifted awkwardly onto one foot as she blocked his way to the bubble filled sink. He didn't ask what she was doing, only set the dishes down on the already diminished pile, grabbed a towel, and started drying the dishes she passed to him. After a few moments she spoke softly. "Thank you. For not pushing it." She whispered; her voice like silk. He found himself contemplating ways to keep her talking, but she elapsed back into silence, the splash of water and clatter of ceramic hitting ceramic the only sound that passed between them. At least until a new sound echoed from the living room, a noise that had Leo scrambling not to drop the plate he was drying, struggling not to throw it down and run as the familiar voice pierced the stillness.

"Jeez! It's like a morgue in here!" Casey's voice.

"It is rather… Quiet." April's voice; tentative, assessing.

They were back! As soon as he was finished drying the dish he held, Leo slung the damp towel over his shoulder and tried not to sprint across the threshold.

"Woah! April!" Mikey cheered as he and the others followed Leo's example and burst into the main corridor to meet their guests. Mikey – as per the norm – was the first the breach the distance, as he nearly fell to his knees before their red-haired friend, his attention fixated on the woman's swollen belly.

"You sure you ain't got twins in there?" Raphael jeered, eying the woman but approaching the broad shouldered man at her side as they clasped forearms in greeting. And behind them, as he approached, Donnie launched into a lecture about body habitus, fetus size and development, and even the position of the fetus and how all those factors determine the size and shape of a mother's swollen abdomen in the final stretches of pregnancy. The lecture obviously fell on deaf ears as April was goaded into telling Mikey every detail and exciting thing to happen while she and her husband had been away while Raph and Casey apparently found themselves locked in an arm wrestle.

Leo waited, biding his time as even his sensei joined the group in welcoming their friends home from their trip. He waited until he recognized the slump of his brother's shoulders and a series of oh's and ah's that issued from his mouth in excitement as he drew the humans' attention toward himself. As if she too knew the signal, Yoko slipped from the kitchen behind Leo, though she hugged the doorframe. Weary. Leo expected as much. It had taken him and his brothers a week just to learn her name. Throwing Casey and April at her now would only frighten her more.

The movement had not gone unnoticed, he realized as April's green eyes swept beyond his kin, and past him, until the young woman was weaving through the crowd in front of her, toward Leo. No. Past Leo. "Hello, there." She greeted, kindly. Behind her Casey let out a low whistle, quickly followed by a hearty laugh, as he moved. The confident swagger seemed to startle Yoko as she sucked in a sharp breath, her pale eyes swinging toward Casey, and she took a quick step back, ready to flee.

Noting the change, Leo quickly intercepted his friend as Raphael appeared at his side, a firm hand on his shoulder, squeezing a warning. Casey halted his advances, and whirled on his best friend, demanding answers. Raphael started his explanation again, but his amber eyes cut to Leo, a request he recognized. Inclining his head in understanding, Leo moved back toward Yoko.

"You could have called!" Casey was complaining, "You found another mutant, and you didn't even bother to tell us?!"

"I'm sorry, telling you wasn't really a priority with everything that's been goin' on!" Raphael shot back. Leo quit listening as he ushered April into the kitchen where Yoko had retreated. Once he was alone with the two women, Leo flicked a hand between them. "April, this is Yoko. Yoko, this is April. She's a friend, I promise." He explained gently, but the mutant woman continued to recoil. It didn't surprise Leo.

"What happened?" April whispered in his ear, keeping her hands away from her sides, fingers splayed to show the frightened mutant she meant no harm.

"We're not really sure." Leo responded, "all we know is that she was shot by some Foot goons." He added, nodding toward the padded bandage peeking out from Yoko's robe.

"Shredder?" April whispered back, her attention instantly focused on Leo again, "he's back?"

"We don't know. That was almost a week ago. Haven't heard anything else since. But we also haven't gone topside either. We've been kind of distracted down here." He explained, inclining his head toward Yoko who took a very tentative step toward them. As if their whispered conversation intrigued her. In his normal voice, Leo beckoned the woman closer. "It's okay, Yoko. Come say hi. I bet you two will get along great." He added, before conveniently finding a need to leave the room and the two women behind.

* * *

With some coaxing from April and Raph, and a great deal of patience, Yoko slowly emerged from the kitchen keeping a wary eye on Casey as though he frightened her more than anything. And when she wasn't watching the human male, her pale eyes held a kindness the brothers had not seen, as she focused on April, on her swollen belly, as if she could see the unborn babe within. She kept close to the other female, and they engaged in a quiet conversation about parenthood. April managed to glean more information about her in a single hour than the mutants had gathered in the past week. Though the information wasn't particularly useful to the brothers, as the women mostly discussed children and families. But she was still weary. Weary of the brothers, weary of Casey, weary of her surroundings.

The Jones' stayed for most of the afternoon, but eventually took their leave as April expressed her gratitude toward having another woman in the family, and hopefully someone who could teach the turtles some house manners. Yoko let a soft laugh escape her lips, but quickly clamped down on it at the suggestion. And as soon as the couple was gone, she detached herself from the brothers, disappearing back into Donnie's room where she did not reemerge.

* * *

_A/N: As some of you may have noticed by now, updates are fairly slow in coming, most of the time I'm lucky to get a new chapter finished once a month, but I just want to let my faithful readers know. I am a full time medical student and attend class Mon-Fri 08:00 - 13:00 {1:00 PM}, and usually spend my afternoons working on homework or studying, therefore the only time I really have to work on NB is during the weekend, but I also have to juggle home life too. I have two cats, a dog, a ferret, and a widowed grandmother that all require my attention as well. I also struggle immensely with depression and it often takes a heavy toll on my desire to write. I try to work on NB every weekend, but let's be honest, I might actually get some decent writing in maybe twice a month, if I'm lucky. Long story, short; **please do not give up on NB just because the updates are slow!** New updates will come out eventually, I promise! NB is only the first in a series of four stories that will follow the path of these characters and the development of their relationships with the turtles. There may even be a short "special edition" story in the New Horizons saga, so please keep reading. If you would like live updates on when new chapters will be coming out - or even if you have questions about a chapter/content/character - you can message me._


	7. Chapter 7

Another day after meeting the Jones family, the brothers resumed their nightly excursions to the surface, and despite the fact that Yoko seemed to grow more confident around the mutants without clinging to Raphael like a shield, she was still quiet. She still refused to talk about what, exactly, had happened the night she'd met Raph. And every time the brothers returned to the lair, they found themselves shocked at the difference.

While the young ninjas romped on the surface, participating in any number of Leo's training exercises, Yoko took their absence as an opportunity to clean, scrub, and organize the lair. They'd even been chased out with a broom when they came home early one night. Master Splinter relished changes, even if he would not openly admit to it. Relished the reality that his sons were being chastised for their disorganization and sloppy habits, and actually taking the reprimands seriously, or at least enough to change said habits.

A few nights after the Jones' visit, the brothers had gone on a particularly long and rigorous routine, and Yoko took the opportunity to slip into Donnie's lab and nearly cursed at the mess presented before her.

* * *

She'd just finished arranging the various chemicals and components into an organizational system she thought Donnie would appreciate, when the brothers finally returned. She knew from the ruckus they dragged into the peaceful residence. Her features contorted with annoyance as she set the beaker she was holding into alignment with the others she had discovered while cleaning, before schooling her features into a gentle smile, and slipped from the den. Ready to reprimand the ninjas for discarding their weapons wherever they pleased. However, to her surprise, she found them carefully arranging their weapons amongst the others she had gathered and – with the help of Donatello – artfully organized along an empty wall. Mikey had fondly named it the "weapons wall" once it was finished. Unfortunately, it had just taken an ungodly effort on her part to get the brothers to actually _use_ the weapons wall for something other than pulling new ones down for training or practice purposes. Leo had been the only one to actually try changing his habits as soon as she incited the new house rule, but he was also the least sloppy of his brothers too…

With Mikey, she actually had to resort to picking up his nunchucks, throwing stars, and other favored weapons and items, and depositing them on his bed. Particularly under his pillow, sheets, blankets, and even occasionally the mattress before he got the message to start hanging them back up when he finished with them if he didn't want to wake up with the tip of shuriken imbedded in his shell. Raphael and Donatello had made plays at picking up after themselves, but Raph's idea of "putting away" mostly just included throwing his stuff on the floor of his room and slamming the door shut and Donnie just piled everything up in a corner.

Pressing her lips into a tight line to keep from laughing as the brothers argued amongst themselves as to where each weapon was supposed to hang, Yoko took a step forward ready to assist the ninjas when a bell sounded.

"Jeez, talk about punctual." Donnie huffed as he quickly dropped his bo staff and spun around, nearly colliding with Yoko. "Woah! Hey!" He yelped, ducking out of the way with the precision obtained only with years of practice. "Sorry, Yoko!" He apologized, just as the elevator doors breezed open revealing a man with messy blonde hair, a small beard, and a white lab coat lazily slung across his shoulders.

At the sight of the stranger, Yoko's eyes narrowed, slowly drawing away from him as Donnie approached the man and a hand fell on her shoulder. She turned to see Raphael at her side, amber eyes focused on the gentlemen in their home. "It's just Brennen. You remember us mentioning him, right? He's the one that stitched you up that night. I guess he wants to see how his latest mutant patient is faring, first hand." He explained as he watched his brother engage in a conversation with the middle aged man. She had heard of Brennen, mostly from overhearing Donnie talk to him on the phone about how she was doing and how her shoulder and leg injuries were healing.

She glanced down at the stark bandage poking out from the collar of her makeshift robe, her gaze traveling down to the second bandage wrapped around her thigh. A dull throb coursed through her veins as if seeing the bandages reminded her that the injuries beneath still ached. Her throat felt dry when she lifted her gaze again, and found Brennen staring directly at her as he and Donnie made their approach.

"So they tell me it took you a whole week to trust them enough to even tell 'em your name. I can't say I have that kind of time – or patience – so let's just get this done and over with. Then you can go back to staring at me like I'm a rogue dog about to rip your throat out and I can get back to work." He directed, as he sauntered closer to the female mutant. "How 'bout we move this to the couch?" He added after a moment, noticing the crowd that gathered as the four brothers joined them and even Master Splinter poked out of his chambers.

Yoko barely acknowledged the request as she pivoted around, struggling to keep her pace steady at the sharp intake of breath that echoed from the doctor as he observed the damage to her shell. She ignored him as she moved across the corridor, toward the couch where the threadbare blanket and pillow Donnie had been using since her arrival were neatly folded and piled.

"I knew the shell was going to look pretty gruesome…" Brennen was saying to the brothers, as if Yoko couldn't hear him perfectly. "Has it shown any signs of healing?" The question was directed toward Donnie, at least she assumed since he had been the one handling her injuries – with the help of Raphael, as she still refused to let any of them touch her with the exception of the red-masked turtle.

"I haven't recorded a single indication of new growth on her shell." Donnie responded, just as quietly, as if he too assumed Yoko couldn't hear him. She had just sat down, perched on the very edge of the sofa when a battered tin box was dropped on the table in front of her, the lid flipped open with a soft _creak_. The box was a familiar sight, filled with various types of bandages and ointments. Her gaze flitted from the box to the terrapin that was carefully picking through the different bandages, pulling out a few that he had become familiarized with while assisting Donnie in changing her dressings. A weight settled on the cushions beside her, and her gaze flicked sideways toward the rodent that joined her, his dark gaze focused on his son.

After another moment, Brennen walked around the couch, dismissing Raphael with a wave of his hand, as he knelt before the female mutant. "A'right, let's see how you've been healing." He made a move toward her shoulder, toward the bandage pressed to her skin, but she skillfully leaned back. Her gaze flicked between the man in front of her and the only turtle she allowed to touch her.

"We might know her name, but she's still got trust issues. Especially when it comes to physical contact." Raphael informed him emotionlessly.

"All right, genius." Brennen retorted back, pulling away, "Then how have you been changing her bandages? Or do you just give her a clean bandage and let her do it, herself?"

"Don't be ridiculous, me and Donnie do it. He inspects from a distance, and I apply the bandage. I guess I'm the only one she lets touch her."

"All right, we do this your way." Brennen declared, eying Yoko through the corner of his green eyes, "You get the bandages off, while I have a quick word with your sensei. And is there any way we can lose the crowd?" He nearly growled to the surrounding turtles, effectively dismissing them as he and Master Splinter rose to their feet. The rodent fixing his beady eyes on his eldest son. "Take your brothers to the dojo, Leonardo." He instructed as he followed Brennen back through the room toward the elevator and away from prying ears, while Leo ushered his brothers out and Raphael took up Brennen's post.

* * *

The doctor held his tongue, his suspicious green eyes constantly flicking over his shoulder to ensure Leo took both Donnie and Mikey into the dojo and Raph was preoccupied with peeling off the bandages clinging to the female mutant's shoulder. When he was certain they didn't have an audience, he finally turned his attention back to the elderly rodent in front of him, patiently waiting. "It's been more than a week, hell it's almost been two weeks. Is it true? Is her name the _only_ thing you've learned?" He hissed.

"We've learned that she desires to be a mother, enjoys cooking and cleaning, and is disgusted by anything cooked in or with grease grease." The rodent added.

"You know what I mean, Master Splinter." The physician replied sharply.

With a sigh the rodent turned his beady eyes to the couch across the corridor for a brief moment before turning back to the man in front of him. "No." He stated, "We haven't learned anything about what happened that night. Or her connection to the Foot Clan."

"So you haven't figured out if she's a spy yet?"

"If she were a spy, she has already gathered more than enough information on me and my sons to report back to her master. Yet she has made no move to leave. She has not even requested to be taken to the surface with my sons."

"That doesn't mean anything. And you know it. She could be biding her time, waiting until you guys aren't suspecting her."

"It is possible."

"Someone needs to earn her trust, get her to open up. Based on Donnie's reports, I really thought she would have opened up to Raph by now, but apparently I was wrong. And she shuts down whenever someone broaches the subject of that night?"

"It would seem. It took a while, but she did speak openly to Mrs. Jones."

"That's nice, but I mean someone who can tell when she's lying, and can read into subtle clues. I'm suggesting _you_, Master Splinter." The doctor hinted. "From what you said, she hasn't left the lair. From a doctor's perspective, I'd say that leg of hers needs to be stretched, nightly. Maybe while a certain four terrapins are running drills on the surface?"

The suggestion was barely concealed, and did not sit well with the ninjutsu master, but even he had to admit it was a good idea.

"I'm just trying to look out for you guys. Something isn't right about that girl. Mutant turtles don't just appear out of thin air, least of all with Foot Clan brands on their shells. I don't know about you guys, but I haven't gotten a wink of sleep wondering what her connection is to those monsters." Brennen added with a sneer.

"Hey!" Raphael suddenly yelled from over the couch, drawing their attention. "You wanna look at this before I put a new bandage on it?" He inquired of Brennen with a pointed look, before his gaze quickly fell to the woman in front of him, a nervous smile replacing his grimace as he said something to her that neither Brennen nor Master Splinter could hear.

"Well I guess that ends our little conversation." The physician sighed, as he stalked away from the rat mutant, maneuvering his way back to the couch and the mutant turtles that awaited him. Meanwhile, Master Splinter stood back and merely watched before moving toward the dojo where he could make out the sounds of his remaining three sons sparing.

* * *

Brennen didn't stay long after checking Yoko's injuries and letting Raph wrap them again before taking his leave. He poked his head briefly into the dojo on his way out, making sure to raise his voice high enough for all the turtles to hear when he addressed the rodent again. "Her injuries seem to be healing okay, there's no sign of infection, but Donnie knew that already. Her leg's bothering me though. She needs to stretch it more. Master Splinter, do you think you could spare a few minutes every night to let her stretch it? About ten or twenty minutes, just let her walk around the sewers a bit."

"I can do that!" Mikey piped up.

"You got training to do, and besides, from what I've seen she'd spend the entire time just trying to avoid you. She'd probably end up _over_stretching it if you or one of your brothers tried taking her out. Therefore, I'd rather Master Splinter do it."

"Very well, Brennen." Master Splinter cut in, before any of his other sons could argue with the physician. "We will consider your advice." He added, before dismissing the man by turning back to his sons.

As the ninjutsu master turned his attention back to his training prodigies, barking out orders for them to follow, specific maneuvers to display, and critiquing every flexed muscle, Brennen decided to leave.


End file.
